This is a blog filled with wonderful surprises that I am giving to you ... FOR FREE, just to help you get your Visiting Teaching done each month. It's a present for you every single month! Make sure to check out my other blog too at http://visitingteachingtips.blogspot.com for other Great Visiting Teaching and Relief Society oriented ideas!

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

I have so many more fun ideas for you besides the ones that I just posted below using wash cloths, and I am now back energized after a great nights rest, to share more ideas with you. Maybe April is just an easy month but I have a wealth of simple, inexpensive and mostly home made ideas for you to share with your sisters you teach, or with friends, neighbors, or anyone else you might be thinking about.

I am posting a picture of my next idea, however these carrots are filled with candy goodies. This is an easy way to do it and just fill the bag with store bought jelly beans or other easter candies. BUT... my idea would be to make your own cellophane carrot shaped bags and fill them with this great, tried and tested popcorn recipe that I will list below. I made the particular popcorn for the edible centerpieces for the Back in Time party my husband and I hosted last weekend. Everyone loved it and even though there were great desserts too, the popcorn was munched all throughout the evening and completely gone by the end of the party. Many comments were expressed on how much they love it and asked for the recipe. You can make this popcorn any color simply by using a different flavor of unsweetened kool-aid mix. You could also make up a batch of this popcorn and put it inside a clear cellopane bag and tie it off with a ribbon. Anyhow you do it, the gift will be appreciated by the receiver.

Here's the printable recipe

This one is more readable on the internet but you can print the one above.Katie's Mother Goose Popcorn recipe1 Cup Popcorn kernelst Tablespoons butter2 Cups sugar1 packet (0.13 oz) unsweetened Koolaid Soft drink mix(I used Black cherry to make Pink Popcorn)for Carrots, I'd use Orange flavor6 ounces of Evaporated milk ( I didn't have evap milk on hand so I used 4 oz skimmilk and 2 0z. cream)1/2 teaspoon soda

Pop the popcorn in an air popper into a large bowl. Shake the bowl from side to side to let unpopped kernels go to the bottom of the bowl. Then put the popcorn into another large bowl by hands full so to separate any unpopped kernels, and throw away the unpopped kernel and tiny popped corn bits.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the koolaid to the sugar and stir in as it makes it dissolve easier in the pan. Add the sugar and Koolaid mixture and the milk. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once it is at a boil, I found that I need to let it boil for about a minute, stirring constantly. Add baking soda and be prepared for it to really swell up. Remove from heat and once the entire mixture is pouffy, pour into the popped corn. Stir very well and keep stirring because you want to get the air into the mixture. I step outside even and stir because you want the popcorn to sort of go to a sugary consistency and not stick together.

I then spread out the coated popcorn on to a sheet of parchment or Freezer paper to continue to dry out. From time to time, stir with hands and eventually the popcorn will be dried to a frosty and sugary pink.

The Kool-aid adds flavor and color all in one. If you want to make the actual flavor of the Real Mother Goose Popcorn, omit the Koolaid, and use drops of Red food coloring and add a about 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, or if you have powdered Vanilla, use 1/2 - 1 teaspoon powdered vanilla. Add the food coloring and extract after it has come to a boil. Once your popcorn is cooled,dried and sugar frosted, you can roll a square sheet of cellophane to form a cone, and secure the cone with a strip of cellophane tape. Cut the pointy uneven ends (not the tip of the cone) evenly straight across. Fill the cone with popped corn and tie the end with a twist tie or thin ribbon. To cover the ribbon or twist tie, cut a 2' to 2 1/2' x\strip of beautiful green ribbon and tie a bow. I prefer the ribbon width to be at least an inch and a half. Trim the ends of the ribbon and there you have it... a Popcorn Carrot. Yum!

The "Dish Towel bunny" is another very cute idea for your visiting Teaching sisters. I found the instructions at http://www.familycorner.com/homegarden/crafts/towel_bunny.shtml At this site there are step by step instructions as well as pictures that will tutor you in this project. Very cute!

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This blog and it's contents go hand in hand with my Visiting Teaching Tips and handouts blog found at http://visitingteachingtips.blogspot.com/ If you by accident get to this blog first, make sure to go back to the other one and see all that there is for you there. This is sort of my overflow or stroage blog because I can't keep everything there, so I add my creations to this storage unit and that is my Visiting Teaching Surprise for you. Sometimes however, I do put in things that I think you would enjoy even if they aren't specifically related to Visiting Teaching, but my vision in life is that if I take all the time to make things, I may as well share them and get more use out of them. Sorta like hand me downs but brand new "Down loads". I hope you enjoy these freebies. Drop me a note to say hello in the comments under the downloads posts.

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Pioneer Recipes

I have been doing quite a few hours of research on Pioneer cooking. Did you realize that most of Pioneer food had to be cured, or dehydrated or made so that they could keep it preserved on the trail. I am sure that must have gotten old, over the miles and they were pretty excited when they were able to find buffalo, or game to add to their menus. I have found some Pioneer recipe sources that I have written down for you. Because I have added them as a post, you will have to copy and paste the links into the address bar to get to these recipes, but I believe you will enjoy this. I marvel at what these pioneer women, wives and mothers did. Can you imagine using buffalo chips to cook with and keep warm, when there was no wood available to burn? (see photo) Cllick on this link and it will take you to the recipes and enjoy youre reading. http://visitingteachingsurprisedocuments.blogspot.com/2009/07/pioneer-recipes.html Katie G.

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Visiting Teaching Surprise

This blog is filled with wonderful surprises for you to enjoy and print off, as an encouragement to get your Visiting teaching done each month. Please check the archives, as there is much more than what you see on the first page. It's free, and it's fun, and I hope you come back every month! Everything made with lots of love! Just a reminder that my original Visiting Teaching Tips handouts and ideas blogspot is located at http://visitingteachingtips.blogspot.com and you should check in there for some other great ideas! Best wishes! Katie

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